Sustainable Living Articles

Gary Crow's Articles

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Broken Men
"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." -- Frederick Douglas -- Whether this is true or not is certainly less than obvious. The lack of clarity starts with the meaning of “strong children” and “broken men.” This article explores these questions and how you can assure that your children are "strong."
Fired With Enthusiasm
“Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero." = "Seize the day, put no trust in tomorrow." – Horace -- Along with “Carpe diem,” Horace said, “He has the deed half done who has made a beginning." Indira Gandhi also thought that getting on with getting on is the way to go, "Have a bias toward action....” If you are ready to Seize the day, this article is just what you need to consider.
Some Stuff I Have Learned
The toothpaste won't go back into the tube. I learned this important fact when I was about 6. I don't remember how I managed to get the toothpaste out of the tube and all over me, the bathroom, and my new shirt. But I sure do remember that there was no way to get it back into the tube before my mother asked the question all mothers ask. 'What in the world do you think you are doing?' …
The Key To Virtue
"When one ceases from conflict, whether because he has won, because he has lost, or because he cares no more for the game, the virtue passes out of him." -- Charles Horton Cooley -- There are three concepts here that represent an unusual juxtaposition: "conflict," "the game," and "virtue." This article discusses virtue and how you can assure that you are actually behaving virtuously.
Pass It Along
As you think about what you ought to do for other people, passing your character along to your children is both a responsibility and an opportunity. Children don’t come into the world with their character pre-packaged. Rather, it develops and evolves through their early years. Character is learned and thus, is taught. This article shows you how you are key to their learning process.
How To Rate Your Boss
Theodore Roosevelt said, “The best leader is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” This article gives you a strategy you can use to rate your boss and shows you how to evaluate your rating.
Can and Did
How should you approach success? What is the best strategy for blending did and can? Arthur Schopenhauer pointed out, “a man can do as he will, but not will as he will.” The message is that you can’t simply “will” things to happen. You have a wide range of options for doing but no magical powers. This article helps you understand and exploit the options you actually have.
Children Are People Too
“Children are our most important resource.” This is usually simply asserted as a given, with no further justification or explanation. You have likely heard it so many times that it has become little more than a cliché. It sounds right so everyone just takes it for granted that it’s right; but are children actually “our most important resource?” More to the point, are they a resource at all? This article explores this important question.
Leadership and Chaos
There are many theories that attempt to account for leadership excellence. If one expands beyond excellence to leadership more generally, a close examination of the various theoretical constructs discloses that they are consistently developed either from the perspective of the leader or from that of those who follow. This article offers an alternative perspective for your consideration.
Conversations With A Brick
You likely have many conversations that are just like Kurt Vonnegut said, “People have to talk about something just to keep their voice boxes in working order, so they'll have good voice boxes in case there's ever anything really meaningful to say;” but what if there was at least one situation where you could be assured that the conversation would always be pleasant and easy? If that sounds good, this article is for you.
Dave Barry: Diplomat
Dave Barry said, "I argue very well. Ask any of my remaining friends. I can win an argument on any topic, against any opponent. People know this, and steer clear of me at parties. Often, as a sign of their great respect, they don't even invite me." This self-disclosure prompted Curious George to check around to see just how closely the quotation aligned with reality. This article brings you the inside story.
The Ten Commandments Of Leadership
There are many behaviors and approaches that enhance your ability to work successfully with people, especially if you are in management or supervision. As you know, they also work well within families, with your friends, and as you participate in your community. You are up-to-speed with the latest and greatest strategies and techniques. What you may not know are the ten commandments of leadership. This article brings them to you.
Real Writers Get With The Program
It would be very cool to be a real writer. I experience the creations of people who are and I usually can’t get enough. Once I get started, I can’t quit. They draw me in and there is no letting go until they turn me loose, satisfied and wondering how they do it. It’s amazing. This article may help some with understanding the key to their success.
Negotiations: Increasing Your Effectiveness
In negotiations, Stay relaxed and friendly. Skilled negotiators will try to distract you, will talk about things unrelated to the negotiations, and try to diffuse your focus. Through this process, keep your internal focus, your mind's eye on the negotiations. This article covers this and other critical techniques that characterize highly effective negotiators.
Negotiations: Preliminary Tips & Techniques
Being a good negotiator is a skill you will find useful in many situations. The skills you will develop will facilitate your being more effectively assertive, being a better problem solver, and being a better conflict manager. Developing the skills is sometimes tedious and requires a lot of practice. The payoff is both substantial and positive, though. This article focuses on what needs to happen before negotiations start.
Welcome To The World Of Serious Success!
Business as usual in the world of personal success goes beyond better communication, avoiding things getting screwed up, and the need to take responsibility for outcomes. This article shows you the way to personal success combined with personal excellence.
Business As Usual And Other Facts Of Life
It probably comes as no surprise that merely trusting others is not the end of it. The question is not just, "Who do you trust?" It isn't, "Who trusts you?" either, since even world class scoundrels likely are trusted sometimes by someone. The question is, "Is there any good reason why anyone should trust you?" This article explores this and other principles of personal success.
Stop The Bullies
What is a bully? When does the typical behavior of children (younger and older) stop being normal and expected and transcend to bullying? Those seem like fairly easy questions and they used to have fairly easy answers. We used to know which children were bullies and were reasonably clear about when normal behavior crossed the line into bullying, but no more. This article examines the underlying issues in today’s society.